A receiver (MST) for use in a modulated communications system wherein data is communicated in a time-slotted format. The receiver comprises circuitry (22) for providing samples of a group of data from the time-slotted format and circuitry (46, 42) for determining a first set of channel estimates in response to a first set of the samples. The receiver also comprises circuitry (30) for first predicting decisions for data in the group of data in response to the first set of channel estimates and circuitry (46, 42) for determining a second set of channel estimates in response to the predicted decisions. Lastly, the circuitry for predicting is further for second predicting decisions for data in the group of data in response to the second set of channel estimates.